I just completed a 12 hr night shift 6pm to 6am and finished it up on new years eve day. My wife is a new hunter and wanted to go out  for the last day.

Well that morning is was about -2 and we head for our latter stands, I spook again deer going to the stand and think my hunt is over.10 mins later a doe fawn show up and I didn’t hesitate (last day of the season, still two tags to fill) 20 yard shot and the deer goes down within site.

Called the wife on the radio and tell her to stay and hunt for a couple hours. Well the morning seemed to go well, of course the wife didn’t see anything. As the day went on I was getting tired but knew it was my wife’s last chance at a deer, of course we are party hunting.

That afternoon we were in our stands around 2:30. Well it was snowing on & off  and around 4pm a doe comes to the field down wind, she gets nervous and leaves the field.

At 4:30 a fawn shows and browses the field of wild grass, at 4:55 nice buck comes to the field gets to 50 yards and no shot big maple tree in the way, 2 does come to the field. Now I have 4 deer down wind of me.

Thank God for scent free products. The does get nervous and leave the field as quick as they entered. The buck comes to 40 yards and looks back at the does, I think he’s going to leave also, now or never I say and look for a opening through the maple tree. Ping! off goes my arrow, the buck jumps and run out of the field.

I call the wife and look at my watch 5:05pm, 10 mins of legal season, talk about cutting the season close. We gave the buck 20 mins and then I got down out of our stands, checked the shot area and found that my arrow had made a pass-through and there was a good blood trail. 80 yards later there he was. 190 Lbs. and 0 fat.

I think that shooting at 3D target tournaments helped me guess the distance quick on this buck.

Dec 31,2009-Bernard B.